LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16662, 18 February 1922, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

“ London was tennis mad last summer,'’ states Miss Gunson, of Auckland, who recently returned to New Zealand. “ The public courts in every park and garden were crowded from dawn to dark- No matter in what direction you turned there were girls and men playing tennis, and so great was the increase in the number of players that at one period it was impossible to buy balls.'’ A very enjoyable little tennis party took place on tho Sumner Tennis Club’s courts yesterday afternoon when a number of members of the club entertained Miss Annette Kellerman. / Some very enjoyable and close sets of tennis were played, after which .Mrs C. De Pass gavp a delightful afternoon at her residence. Amongst those present on tlie courts were:—Miss N. K. Smythe, Mrs H. J. Williams, -Mrs Hamilton, Mrs F Waters. Dr F- Slaler (president of the club), Mr C. De Pass (captain of the club), Mr T. Charters, Mr 11. J. "NVilliams, Mj*s Rattray* and Mr Skinner. An “ Amazon army,” throwing rod pepper, bricks, stones and lumps of coal, swept through the Southern Kansas coalfields early in December, mobbing five mines and forcing miners lo quit work. Skirts and shawls flying, the women, wives and relatives of “ rump” strikers, swept down on the mines and in many instances put working miners to flight with their lists. Fiercely, like tigresses, the women clawed and, in some instances, used their teeth on miners who failed to heed tlieir warning cries of “ Get out of here—you dirty traitors.” Several miners were bruised by missiles, others were almost blinded by the shower of red pepper. Four JacksonWalker mines and another near Mulberry were “cleared out.” “We’ll run every Lewis traitor off tho job in Southern Kansas,” tlieir leaders shouted. About 2000 women, mostly foreigners, participated. Years ago oysters were among the cheapest fish in the market, as the following market announcement in the eighteenth century testifies:— Thomas West gives notice that all persons who have occasion for the Choicest of Oysters, called Colchester Oysters, may be supplied for this season with the largest pick’t Fat and green for 3 shillings a Barrel.” Probably the record number of oysters ever consumed at a single sitting was achieved by a “young lady at Brighton,” who. according to the “ London Review” of November, 1806, “undertook to eat for supper the enormous quantity of three hundred oysters with a proportion of bread.” An interesting demonstration of agility in rots was* afforded an inspector in Wellington a few nights ago. Several rats had been cornered at tlie bottom of a lift well. On the approach of a catcher with the dogs one rat immediately scaled tlie greasy cable up to the second storey, where at this stage the violent shaking of the cable by tho rat catcher dislodged the fugitive. On reaching the bottom again his second .dash was cut short by the dogs. This shows how quickly and easily a rat may change its location in a building. At every possible outlet there must be poison or traps set for him, and nothing else by vray of food should he available. A photograph to send c.tch of your friends is the best way to calve the gift problem. Let Steffano Webb take it. Petersen’s Buildings, High Street. Telephone 1989. 1613 Think of the Winter— and bottle! Fruit and Sugar cheaper—therefore bottle! To ensure success get all supplies from Hastie, Bull and Pickering. Wide-mouth Jars, Extra Heavy Rings Aluminium Pans. Scales. Spoons, Babels and instruction., ’Phone 2103 and 4149. * MWS Martin’s Apiol and Steel Pills. Sold bv all Chemists and Stores throughout Australasia.